Brazil’s newest container terminal, Portonave, received its first container vessel last weekend after a four-month delay, but it led to stevedores taking strike action at the neighbouring port of Itajai, just a few yards across the Itajai-Acu river, for 14 hours.

The MSC Uruguay arrived at Portonave, located at the port of Navegantes, and unloaded several hundred empty reefer containers ready for stuffing, but the stevedores’ union at Itajai immediately ordered its members to stop working because Portonave is using its own dock labour and does not have an agreement to use casual labour from the local labour pool. The stevedores only returned to work after the MSC Uruguay had left Portonave.

Further strike action could break out tomorrow when another vessel is due to call at Portonave.